Technical Field
The present invention relates to barcoding objects, and more particularly to systems and methods for applying barcodes on three-dimensional objects even if its surface is not flat or does not have enough space to locate barcodes.
Description of the Related Art
Three-dimensional (3D) printing makes it possible to create various objects; however, rights management protection and traceability remain an issue for printed objects. Solutions to rights management protection need to be permanently affixed to the printed objects. In one instance, integrated modeling may be performed to a surface of the 3D object which includes its rights management and traceability information as a 2D barcode. However, this requires the surface of the 3D object to be flat or gently curved. It may be possible to map the barcode onto the surface by using 3D mapping technology, but this requires a sufficient area to which the code is mapped. In addition, having a barcode printed on the object can detract from the beauty or appearance of the object.